A Cup of Coffee
by SparkOfRuby
Summary: Abel goes for a cup of coffee before dinner. (Themes of eating disorders/disordered behaviors)


I recently watched the movie Feed and thought it was interesting how they showed her disorder as more subconscious than on-purpose, so I wrote a short fic with the same idea.

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He steps back, critical eyes scanning the room for any sign of imperfection. They are met with the lustre of freshly-cleaned countertops and perfectly spotless windows letting white sunlight spill in. The stove, a blinding white, a sharp, clean contrast with the glossy dark mahogany table. His appreciation for the impeccable cleanliness of the kitchen was interrupted by a low growl. His stomach reminded him of what could be found in that near brand-new fridge of his.

Abel scowled. He had worked hard to keep his home this nice and he would not be dirtying it anytime soon. His body would have to wait until someone- most likely his sister- came in and made a mess of it again. It would be a long time before she returned home from her boyfriend's house. Abel wished to avoid an encounter with the man so rather than turning on the TV or going to work on one of his many projects, he threw on a coat paired with his favourite scarf and went over to his bike chained to the iron railing outside. He decided he would get something to drink from a nearby cafe, perhaps spend some time there as well.

The shop was small and cheap but decent for its price. It was really the only place Abel happily spent his money on. He reached the front doors in a matter of minutes and hastily made his way inside. Middays were often busy as it wasn't far from a local college campus, and being an inexpensive cafe- it was quite popular with students. The smell of fresh, warm bread hit him and Abel's stomach growled again. Perhaps he would get some if just to shut his body up.

The line wasn't long and he found his place behind two young girls chatting with each other- occasionally glancing towards the front counter.

"Shut up!" The one giggled, playfully slapping her friend on the shoulder.

"Do it. I dare you." The other replied.

"No!" Girl #1 exclaimed, but before she could say something more her friend interrupted.

"You're just scared of getting rejected! C'mon- just try!".

"Am not! Plus, I heard he's in a relationship already."

"With who? Lovino? I seriously doubt that 'Chelle- everyone who's actually met him knows-" But Abel tuned out as he felt his throat tighten. He casually peeked around the two only to meet eyes with someone familiar. He stiffened. Whatever appetite he'd had when he walked in was gone now. The line lurched forwards and the girls tried painfully hard to flirt with the cashier. Well, perhaps their obviousness was needed considering the man behind the counter was stupider than a bag of bricks. The girls walked off and he was greeted in a noticeably strained tone.

"Hello, Abel," the man said. He was smiling, but his friendly demeanour was gone.

"Good afternoon Antonio- surprised you're still here," Abel half-sneered. Antonio said nothing but instead tapped his fingers impatiently on the countertop. He ordered quickly (a single black coffee) and took a seat at a nearby table. It was no secret to either of their friends that Abel and Antonio were not on friendly terms, nor did it seem like they ever would be. He was fine with that. While he didn't care what Antonio's opinion was on him, he still had an appearance to uphold and eating carb-loaded snacks like a pig did not fit it. Abel's name was (bitterly) called and he grabbed a cup holder on his way out the doors.

He placed the drink in his basket and pedalled home, cursing the cold weather once again. His sister must've been home as her own bike was locked up where his had been right out front. Abel grabbed the cup and took a moment to enjoy the heat radiating from the styrofoam. Walking inside he immediately heard crashing from inside the kitchen.

"Abel?" A girl yelled out, house going silent. As soon as he answered the noise continued and his sister warmly greeted him. She stepped into the living room, carrying a box of takeout. "Wow, coat and everything huh? It's not that cold out yet!" She teased.

"Are you having dinner this early?" He asked, ignoring her previous comments.

She looked at the box in her hands. "Yeah, it was on the ride home so I figured I'd eat now. Want some?" Abel shook his head.

"I went out."

They talked for a few moments before she disappeared up to her bedroom, leaving Abel alone in the dining room. Her food had smelled good, but he didn't need to leech off of her. He sipped at his coffee, enjoying the bitter taste. It pooled in the bottom of his stomach, scorching the inside. At least it helped to stop the chills that regularly wracked his body. Abel rubbed at his arms and felt the fragile bones under his skin. He'd lost a lot of weight he could tell, but he didn't particularly mind. Besides, gaining more meant he'd have to eat more and food was expensive. And messy. Why spend so much just to ultimately make more chores for yourself?

Most of it was unpleasant anyways. Everything was the same flavour of bland- though perhaps he'd just lost his taste for things over time. Abel finished the drink (not bothering to take his time) and stared into the kitchen from his seat. Tomorrow he would go back to work but it was still far too early to sleep yet. Instead, he grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and settled into a chair he kept by the window. Cars passed by and occasionally a person or couple would too.

Abel enjoyed people-watching and often found himself staring mindlessly at the outside for hours. Before he knew it the sky turned a golden-orange as the sun began to sink below the outlines of his neighbour's house. He hadn't noticed the time or the dull ache in his gut but it was too late to worry about cooking now. Instead, Abel walked to his room and settled into bed- drifting off under his many quilts within the hour.

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Thank you all for reading! I hadn't seen any Netherlands related ED stories so I decided to write one myself!


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